William Mackenzie (1775-1829) was the foster father of Edgar Allan Poe's sister, Rosalie Mackenzie Poe. Though nver legally adopted by the Mackenzies, Rosalie Poe lived with them for most of her life, and Edgar Allan Poe was a frequent guest at their Richmond home, Duncan Lodge, during his visits to the city in 1848 and 1849.

This piece was among a number of Mackenzie family possessions, including a photograph of Edgar Allan Poe's sister, purchased from descendants of the Mackenzies.